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Salty-and-Sour Lettuce

5.0

(1)

Platter of SaltyandSour Lettuce topped with crispy shallots isolated on white as seen from overhead.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser

Lettuce is capable of more than just salad duty. Cooking it—yes, you heard right—creates crunchy-tender, delicately flavored leaves that are ready to soak up any sauce. This recipe is inspired by a classic Chinese cooking technique in which blanched iceberg or romaine lettuce is served with oyster sauce and garlic. The result is supple yet crunchy leaves with a mild grassy freshness. Here we’ve topped it with a punchy dressing of lime juice, soy sauce, fish sauce, and sugar. It’s sweet, salty, and tangy, with a slight umami kick. The longer the dressing sits on the lettuce, the more it will absorb it. This dish can be served hot, cold, or room temperature. Top with fried shallots or fried garlic for extra crunch. 

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    5 minutes

  • Yield

    2 Servings

Ingredients

2

Tbsp. fresh lime juice

4

tsp. soy sauce

2

tsp. fish sauce

2

tsp. sugar

1

large head of romaine lettuce, leaves separated

Kosher salt

Store-bought fried shallots and/or store-bought fried garlic and sesame seeds (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Whisk 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 4 tsp. soy sauce, 2 tsp. fish sauce, and 2 tsp. sugar in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, about 30 seconds. Set dressing aside.

    Step 2

    Cook 1 large head of romaine lettuce, leaves separated, in a medium pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lettuce to paper towels and let drain well.

    Step 3

    Arrange lettuce on a platter and drizzle reserved dressing over. Top with store-bought fried shallots and/or store-bought fried garlic and sesame seeds.

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Reviews (1)

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  • The flavors were awesome, I fried my own shallots and garlic which is super easy. But the lettuce was floppy and soggy after 30 second (I timed it). Will make again without blanching

    • Genna

    • North Carolina

    • 4/1/2023

  • Super quick and tasty! 30 seconds was the perfect amount of time for crunchy romaine to wilt ever so slightly. I think this dressing would also be good on raw lettuce for a regular ol' salad, though.

    • lasagnaqueen

    • Portland, Oregon

    • 5/11/2024